1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to shock absorbing and protective materials, and more particularly is a material that limits or eliminates displacement in one direction, while freely allowing displacement in other directions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Throughout history, man has recognized a need for protective clothing and equipment. The earliest examples of protective clothing were for military purposesxe2x80x94protecting warriors during hand-to-hand combat. While current day usages have expanded to include protective clothing and devices for on-the-job and recreational activities, the basis premise remains the same. The devices must provide the user protection, while at the same time affording mobility.
A constant balancing of requirements must be applied when designing protective devices. A rigid device ill most likely provide the best protection, but it will also almost certainly be very restrictive of the user""s mobility. Conversely, flexible devices allow a greater range of motion, but may not provide sufficient protection against impact and/or motion outside a safe range. An everyday example of this dilemma can be seen by considering a very common piece of equipment, a knee brace. An elasticized sleeve will provide some support to the knee while allowing the user to maintain a full range of motion, and therefore maintain speed and agility. However, an elasticized sleeve will not protect against an impact, nor will it provide sufficient support for a damaged knee. A knee brace with plastic stays provides greater support and can be effective for compensating for minor injuries, but the rigidity of the device begins to affect the wearer""s mobility. Braces with metal stays and supports clearly provide the greatest support, and best protection against impact. However, these braces can significantly affect the user""s mobility
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fabric that can be used to construct protective equipment and clothing that provides significant support and impact protection, while minimizing any restriction of the user""s movement.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a material that can be used to construct a supporting surface, such as a bed or a tabletop, that will resist force in one direction, but will be completely movable in a second direction to allow complete collapsing for storage and transport.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a material that will have a variable and controllable level of resistance to movement in a given direction.
The present invention is a stressable fabric. As related to the present invention, xe2x80x9cstressable fabricxe2x80x9d is defined to mean a material that will limit movement in a given direction, but that will freely allow movement in at least one other direction.
The stressable fabric of the present invention is comprised of layers of multiple materials. A top layer s formed from a generally non-elastic material. Suitable materials for the top layer are fibers, cables, woven material, or any other material that will bend when stress is applied, but that will not stretch. The top layer is attached to a motion axis defining layer comprised of a plurality of non-compressible blocks. The non-compressible blocks may be rectangular, oval, or other shapes depending on the requirements of a specific application. The shape of the non-compressible blocks defines the directions in which the stressable fabric can easily move. The non-compressible block of the motion axis defining layer are separated by a compressible interstitial element. The degree of compressibility of the compressible interstitial element is also varied according to the product design requirements.
The stressable fabric of the present invention, in addition to having varying degrees of displacement limitation, can of course also be made in any size required for a given application. This adaptability gives the stressable fabric a broad range of practical applications. Protective clothing is of course a major use for the stressable fabric. But a user can just as easily use stressable fabric to construct a bed that is thin, lightweight, and that can be rolled up for storage and transport. The stressable fabric of the present invention an also be used for medical purposes, such as bandages that restrict certain motions only. The stressable fabric can also be beneficially used for protective sporting gear.
An advantage o the present invention is that the stressable fabric resists displacement in a first direction, but freely allows motion in at least one other direction. In the case of protective clothing, this characteristic allows the construction of garments that will effectively resist an impact, but will allow free movement by the wearer.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the range and direction of the restricted motion can be defined by the construction parameters of the stressable fabric.
A still further advantage of the present invention is that it can be used in a myriad of applications, thereby enjoying significant economic viability.